Ethics by Baruch Spinoza
Most writers on the emotions and on human conduct. attribute human infirmities and fickleness, not to the power of nature in general, but to some mysterious flaw in the nature of man. -from Ethics Considered a rationalist in the ranks of Descartes and Leibniz, Benedict De Spinoza was so unorthodox in his philosophies that his writings, published in 1678 just after his death, were immediately banned in his homeland of Holland. The spreading influencing of his thinking could not be stopped, however, and Spinoza overarching contention-that human happiness could be achieved only through a reasoned understanding of the universe-remains provocative and significant today. This collection, translated from Latin by R.H.M. Elwes and published in 1901, brings together Spinoza's best known work, Ethics, in which he postulates that God and Nature constitute one deterministic system, a single divine machine, in which humans are a vital part; his treatise On the Improvement of the Understanding, in which he discusses the very nature of the mind itself; and a selection of his correspondence that elucidates his reasoning. AUTHOR BIO: BENEDICT DE SPINOZA (1632-1677) was born in Amsterdam to a prosperous merchant family. He also wrote A Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect, which he never completed, and A Short Treatise on God, Man, and His Well-Being.Professor Shirley has provided a translation which is fluent, eminently readable, and responsive to current research into Spinoza's thoughtWhere a particular passage is difficult or obscure, Shirley never attempts to interpose himself between the reader and Spinoza, nor to side with one or another competing school of interpretation. This makes his translation not just an ideal introduction for the reader new to Spinoza, but also a trustworthy source of insight for the more advanced reader. --Lee C. Rice, Marquette University
Samuel Shirley, (1912-2006), was Classics Exhibitioner of Balliol College, Oxford, and Latin Lecturer at Cardiff University.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780872201309 |
| ISBN 10 | 0872201309 |
| Title | Ethics |
| Author | Baruch Spinoza |
| Series | Hackett Classics |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Hackett Publishing Co, Inc |
| Year published | 1992-11-01 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |